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medpundit |
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Tuesday, October 01, 2002The new standards say "switching arrangements," under which drug companies offer financial incentives to shift patients from one drug to another, "are suspect under the anti-kickback statute." Similar arrangements, under which companies pay drugstores or pharmacy benefit managers to contact patients or doctors to encourage them to change from one drug to another, are also suspect, the government said. It warned companies that they would run afoul of the law if they rewarded pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers for "moving market share" from one product to another. The inspector general said that payments to consultants, advisers and researchers "pose a substantial risk of fraud and abuse" if the payments exceed "fair market value for the services rendered." The new guidelines say that drug makers can violate the kickback statute when they offer entertainment, recreation, travel, meals or similar benefits; when they sponsor "educational conferences"; and when they offer research grants, gifts, gratuities and "other business courtesies" to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who influence the prescribing of drugs. Does this mean I’ll have to say good-bye to the pens? posted by Sydney on 10/01/2002 08:10:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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